Kings and enemies
by Magicwolf360
Summary: When Hades tells his son about a portal to the Underworld in Amity Park, Nico is sent on a mission to shut it down and send any ghost who stands in his way to Tartarus.
1. Chapter 1

Will's brow creased in worry.

"Are you sure you have to go? You deserve a break after Gaea."

"Thanks, but Dad said he's been seeing a lot of spirit activity in the city."

Will nodded solemnly. Then a small smile crept up his face.

"Hey, you called Hades 'Dad'."

Nico paused. After a while, he smirked.

"Yeah... I guess I did."

Last week had been the weirdest week of Nico's life. And that's saying something. Apparently, a really tricky spirit had escaped the Underworld. Of course, Hades put him up to catching it, but then Hades turned to the other campers. The gods of the Underworld pointed to Percy and ordered him to help Nico and then he called on Hazel. Nico had mixed feelings about Hazel coming. He loved her as much as he'd loved anyone, so what if the quest was dangerous? It was kind of silly worrying about Hazel's safety after she took on the freakin' Earth, but he was her brother.

"I think I'm all packed. I'll be back soon," Nico promised Will.

The son of Apollo didn't look happy about it. But he pulled Nico into a hug and buried his face in the son of Hades' shoulder.

"You better come back or I'm coming for you."

"Oh, no. Don't want to ignite the wrath of Apollo's son."

Will chuckled, ruffling Nico's hair.

"Stay safe."

Nico smiled, pushing past his boyfriend. The camp was still asleep, but Percy and Hazel were already waiting at Thalia's tree. They greeted him warmly. Percy cleared his throat, shaking Nico's hand.

"Hey, man-"

"Don't worry about it. No awkwardness, no dwelling. Not anymore," Nico said.

Percy gave him a grateful look before pulling away. Together, the three set out. Nico swung his backpack around, digging through until he found a map. He held it up to the early morning light and cursed in Greek.

"Amity Park's halfway across the country."

"What else is new?" Percy mumbled.

"So, Nico, what exactly are we looking for?" Hazel asked in a small voice.

Nico thought back to what his father told him.

"I think we're looking for some kind of... portal? Hades is really ticked, he says whatever it is punched a hole into the Underworld. The ghosts are finding their way out slowly but surely. Some are probably all good and helpful, but Dad wants to make sure none of the vengeful spirits escaped."

Percy bit his lip.

"Got it. Ghosts escaping is bad. So we need to find this portal and shut it down, right? Does that involve punching stuff?"

Nico and Hazel stared at him. He shrugged and continued walking, swinging his pen around. Nico ducked instinctively, watching the pen wearily.

"Watch where you swing that thing!"

"Scared of a little old pen, di Angelo?" Percy asked with a grin.

Nico gave him one of his famous evil stares. Percy just shrugged it off and continued walking ahead, leaving Nico alone with Hazel.

"Do you have any idea why Dad wanted Percy and me to come along?" Hazel asked.

Nico hated admitting when he was wrong. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't meet Hazel's gaze.

"No..."

The Ghost King not knowing anything about his ghosts. There was probably an irony joke hidden somewhere in there. Nico's mind wandered as they trudged towards the nearest bus stop and bought tickets for Amity Park. Personally, he didn't trust any place that sounded so happy. But Hazel bought him a Happy meal. That was compensation enough. Soon, Nico's eyes started drifting. Sleep was good. He was a master of dreaming by now... okay, maybe _master_ was a little over the top. He was barely aware of his two friends chatting away over their food.

* * *

"I don't, Danny. This seems kind of risky."

"Relax, Sam. I've done this a hundred times!"

Sam mumbled something that Danny couldn't catch over the earpiece. Tucker and Sam were down below on their scooters. It zipped along, falling a little behind Danny. Up ahead, the trees were coated in Ectoplasmic goo. Danny gave Sam a smug glance.

"See? I told you we'd find it!"

"Great! Now all you need to do is catch it."

Danny swung his thermos around, gripping it in his hand. He scanned his surroundings, looking for the monster. It had appeared out of nowhere, a beast with red scaled and glowing purple eyes. Long black claws that were as long as Danny extended out. After a couple of seconds, Danny sighed.

"I don't see it."

"All clear down here. Maybe we should call it a night. Besides, you look really tired."

Danny hadn't even noticed. He'd been so busy fighting ghosts that the adrenaline had kept him awake. Now that Tucker pointed it out, Danny could feel his whole body turning to lead.

"Yeah... sure. My parents are going to _kill_ me. I'm past curfew again."

"All the more reason to take a break."

Danny soared over some of the buildings. He could see his friends trying to catch up. He was about to go help them when a voice stopped him.

"Hello, Daniel."

A man stepped out of a nearby shadow on a tree branch. Danny looked at the man quizzically. He was wearing a dark robe with a hood over his face. Something about this guy was... unsettling.

"Who are you?"

"Let's just say I'm a friend. An old enemy is returning. Clockwork has foreseen his inevitable arrival."

"Who are you talking about? What enemy? Freak Show? Undergrowth? It's not... Dan, is it?"

"Close but not quite. He's come to banish the ghosts. That includes you, Danny. The enemy wishes to tear you from this world forever. You'd never see your friends or family again."

Danny tensed.

"Who is he?"

"Alas, his name is unspoken. Where I come from, he's known as the Ghost King."

"Pariah Dark?"

"No, you fool. The Ghost King is a force of darkness much more powerful than Pariah Dark. He's the spawn of death and life itself. He does Death's work, bringing it wherever he goes. The creatures that hide in the night are attracted to his kind."

"Hold on a minute. Who are you and why are you telling me this?"

"I wish to see the great ghost-boy victorious in the oncoming battle. Be warned, the Ghost King does not walk alone. He travels with more of his kind. More unnatural spawn of the Earth and seas. The Son of Neptune and the Girl Who Died... I have overstayed my welcome, I fear. Death is searching for me. You have been warned, ghost-boy. Kill them before they kill you."

The man started sinking into the shadows. Danny made a desperate grab for the stranger's hand.

"Wait! Who are you? You can't just drop that on my shoulders!"

Danny's hand swept out. But instead of touching the man, he only grabbed empty air. Danny's hair fell into his face as he stared at the spot the man had been. What if a Ghost King really was coming? The man's words echoed in his head. _Spawn of death and life itself_. Sam and Tucker had finally reached the tree. They propped their scooters down just as Danny lightly touched the ground.

"W-we have to get ready."

"For what?"

"War's coming to Amity Park."


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. I've been working everyday in my school's musical crazy hours like 2-7. Add homework and everything and everything and my life has been the craziest. Don't worry, the next chapter won't take too long to upload, I'm already half-way done with it.**

Percy was bored. The silence was killing his ADHD mind. Hazel had fallen asleep about an three hours into the trip. Percy checked the map and groaned. They still had two states to cover before getting anywhere near Amity Park. He drummed his fingers and was about to walk out when Nico woke up.

"Percy? Why are you awake? You'll need your strength if we have to fight something."

"I dunno. I'm not really tired, I guess... so... how's Will?"

Nico's head hung down, his hair falling over his face, trying to hide the blush.

"He's good. He wasn't too happy about me leaving, though."

"Of course he wasn't. Especially with the date and all-" Percy started.

Nico gave him a confused look.

"What are you talking about?"

Percy paused.

"Um... the day we defeated Gaea. Exactly six months tomorrow. Wasn't that the day you guys got together?"

Nico face-palmed himself, sighing.

"It was going to be our six month anniversary. Gods, how could I forget?"

After that, Percy didn't trust himself to speak. The two rode in silence, glancing over at the clock every once in a while. When Hazel woke up, they nearly gasped in relief.

"Hazel! How did you sleep?"

"Tell us all the details and don't forget a single thing!"

Hazel looked between them uncertainly. She opened her mouth and yelped as the bus was jostled.

"What's going on?"

Nico scrambled to the window. He pressed his forehead against the glass. There was someone up ahead, laughing. He had spiked hair with blue skin and blood red eyes. Nico's chest felt hollow when he saw the figure. All his senses became alert.

"It's a ghost," he growled.

Percy uncapped Riptide. Hazel took out her dagger, holding it above her head. Nico grabbed his Stygian iron sword, and the three rushed to the front. Mortals were screaming all around. They were all crowded around the windows, pointing at the ghost.

"Ghost!"

The three hesitated. The Mist should've hid the ghost's true appearance.

"Guys, this isn't good. If the Mist isn't working..." Hazel whispered.

She didn't need to finish her sentence. The boys knew what it would mean. Chaos and panic shredding through the mortal world. The humans would be seeing something they couldn't ever imagine. Just another reason to banish the spirits from Amity Park.

"I must give you a warm welcome to Wisconsin!" The ghost boomed.

Nico turned to his friends. His anger made his sword glow with a purple light.

"This one's mine."

"Sending one spirit to Tartarus won't bring the Mist back," Percy warned.

"I know that," Nico snapped, "but I sense dark things from this spirit. It deserves punishment. If all the loose spirits are like this... we can't hesitate."

Before they could stop him, Nico leaped off the bus. He landed on his feet and marched over to where the ghost was hovering. The spirit kept lashing out bright pink bursts of energy. They bounced off the bus, rocking it harder and harder each time.

"I command you to stop!" Nico called out.

Vlad did stop. But not because he was told to. He looked down at Nico with a blank expression.

"Who the heck are you?"

"That's none of your concern. Spirit, return to the Underworld and the judges may go easy on you."

"Ha! Do you think I'm scared by a teenager with a sword? I've fought monsters way worse than you."

"You might've fought monsters before, but you've never faced a king."

Nico's body melted into shadow. Vlad yelped and jumped back. Nico re-materialized behind the ghost. He held up his sword and was about to strike when a green blast of energy shot between them.

* * *

Danny knew Vlad was up to no good. His old enemy was getting more and more reckless with his 'fun'. Sam was getting reports that Vlad was terrorizing locals and blaming it on an accomplice of Danny Phantom. Of course, no one in Amity Park believed Vlad Masters, but Danny was determined to make it stop. He saw the boy vanish into a shadow. Danny froze. All his insides turned to ice, especially whenever he glimpsed the boy's eyes. They were cold and pained. They made Danny want to curl up and die. As much as he hated Vlad, he wanted to get the full story before letting this kid waste the old ghost.

So he fired an energy beam. Nico whipped around so fast, Danny almost lost his balance. The kid's eyes fired up, rage shooting through them.

"You! Spirit! How _dare_ you fire on your king?"

"The king?" Danny asked in a small voice, "t-the Ghost King? _You're_ the Ghost King?"

"Glad word gets around," Nico growled.

For a second, Danny didn't know what to do. He'd been expecting some larger-than-life, powerful ghost. Not some kid. If anything, Danny was older than the Ghost King.

"Isn't it your bedtime or something?" Danny chuckled.

Nico's face reddened. Two people appeared next to him. An older boy with bright green eyes and an African-American girl with golden eyes. _The Son of Neptune and the Girl who Died_. They also... didn't look that threatening. They stood next to their King protectively. The girl put a hand on his shoulders.

"Get him," she stated.

Nico's lips curled up as he nodded.

"With pleasure."

The ground began to shake. Vlad looked at Danny worriedly. Danny's gaze went down as cracks appeared in the ground. Skeleton hands reached up, pulling the rest of their body out of the ground. Danny yelped and jumped back a few feet in the air.

"That is messed up!"

The skeletons stood tall. They turned to the Ghost Kind all simultaneously bowed. Nico smiled and walked among his soldiers easily. These were the dead... his kind of people.

"Attack the ghosts. Make sure you send their spirits so deep into Tartarus, they'll never see the light of day again!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, there was someone on the comment section who doesn't like gays. Thoughts and opinions of this person?  
**

"What? Why do you want to send me to Tar... Tartor?"

"Tartarus," Nico corrected.

"Right, that! Why do you want to send me there?"

Instead of responding, the King held up his black sword. It glittered dangerously, reflecting Danny's face.

"I've met spirits like you. You think you can just stay in the mortal world. You don't care that _you're_ the ones causing trouble. Just go back to the Underworld and we can say good-bye in peace."

"Um... okay... can you at least tell me your name?"

Nico's eyes narrowed dangerously. A shiver went up Danny's spine, but he didn't let it show.

"The name's Nico, son of Hades. This here is Percy, the son of Poseidon. And my half-sister, Hazel. Her father is the Roman version of Hades."

 _The Son of Neptune..._ Danny glanced at Percy. Even though the boy's face was focused, Danny could tell there was a sense of humor deep down. Hazel looked like a compassionate girl. But there was still one thing Danny didn't understand.

"Why are you the Girl who Died?"

Hazel gaped, eyes wide.

"You can't possibly know that..."

She turned to her brother and whispered something in his ear. He nodded thoughtfully, turning back to the skeleton army.

"Destroy the older one. Capture the younger ghost."

"Not what I had in mind!"

Danny rushed higher as the skeletons began throwing their spears and javelins. Vlad was already retreating, gazing over his shoulder. Danny turned around and fired on the army. The bones disintegrated into dust, but more kept pouring in. Vlad was flying away as fast as he could, leaving Danny to fend for himself.

"Last time I ever help you," Danny yelled.

Vlad ignored him. More skeletons climbed over their fallen soldiers. One threw a net, tying one of Danny's wrists. The ghost boy yelped as he crashed to the ground. Pain shot through his body, but he looked up at Nico defiantly.

"You are evil. You're a pint-sized little demon."

Nico raised an eyebrow.

"Um... thanks? Hey, Hazel, what do you want to do with him?"

She shrugged. Danny focused out his mind, trying to make himself go intangible. He just needed to get out of there. Then Sam and Tucker could help him prepare. Nico turned to Danny, clearing his throat.

"How about a deal? You show us where the portal is, and we'll let you go."

"The portal?"

The Fenton portal? Danny's stomach dropped, a wave of nausea washing over him. After everything his parents had worked for... this little punk wanted to destroy the portal! Nico pointed his sword at Danny again.

"Come on, ghost. I don't have all day."

Danny gulped, looking back up at the kid's face. He was about to tell Nico to go someplace special, when someone cried out. Nico glanced up in surprise and jumped back with a yelp. Jazz was coming at breakneck speed in the Fenton RV. She swerved, almost knocking Percy and Hazel off their feet. Before the trio could recover, Jazz was out of the vehicle and freeing Danny. The net came away easily under her Swiss army knife.

"H-How'd you know where to find me?"

"You're my little brother. I know everything. And a ghostly GPS helps too."

He flexed his wrists, smiling.

"You are the coolest sister ever!"

"Yeah, yeah. Tell me about it when we get back to Amity Park."

Danny leaped into the passenger seat. He looked back worriedly to see Nico helping Hazel regain her position. He wasn't going to go after them? _Not much of a cold-blooded move_. Jazz slammed the pedal. The tires let out a squeal before the RV shot off down the road.

"Okay, but how did you know I was in trouble?"

"Don't you remember that little deal we had? When I call your cell phone, you answer. If you don't it's either cause you're in trouble or left it in the kitchen. My turn. Who were those people?"

"Their leader is a king with a price on every ghost's head."

"That's good, right? A potential ally."

"He wants to shut down the portal."

Jazz's mouth clamped shut. She leaned back in her seat, letting out a shaky breath. The farther they went, the more they relaxed. Danny gazed out of the window. The fight replayed over and over in his head. He'd have to tell Sam and Tucker about it when they got home... he groaned. Why couldn't life be easier?

* * *

Nico collapsed onto the concrete, chest heaving. All those skeletons he had summoned... they were refusing to go back to rest. It was taking all of his strength to make sure they stayed in the ground. Hazel came over, gathering her brother up into a hug. She buried her face into his aviator jacket.

"I couldn't stop them," Nico mumbled. Hazel smiled reassuringly.

"Nico, we defeated the Earth Mother. I think we can handle a few ghosts."

He nodded absently. Percy was back at the bus, trying to calm the people down. No matter what he said, the crowd would start screaming and crying. He jogged over to Hazel and Nico, shaking his head.

"Nothing's working. Hazel, are you _sure_ you can't manipulate the mist?"

"I don't even _sense_ it."

"Alright, let's just regroup. We still need to get to Amity Park. Obviously, this bus isn't going to help... so what now?"

Nico stood, slinging his sheathed sword over his shoulder. He shrugged.

"We walk?"

Percy and Hazel looked at each other. She nodded. _Walking it is, then_. They slipped away without any of the passengers seeing them. Percy circled around a tree, a frown tugging at his lips.

"I'm hungry."

"Who isn't?" Nico grunted.

"I wish we had Leo's taco-," Hazel paused.

The air grew about a hundred times thicker. Nico bit his lip. He hadn't known Leo for that long... but he could still remember feeling Leo's decent into the Underworld. It'd been unlike anything he'd ever experienced from a spirit before. Out of the three of them, Hazel was probably the one with the deepest connection though. She cleared her throat, squaring her shoulders.

"Come on, let's just get this quest over with."

"Oh, don't stop on my account!"

Their heads whipped up. Sitting on one of the tree branches was Leo. His arm was wrapped around a smirking Calypso.


	4. Chapter 4

Leo laughed, giving his friends a small wave.

"Ta da! Did you really think you could get rid of the super-sized Mc-Shizzle man?" Leo beamed.

"I-I don't understand." Hazel croaked.

"I used Festus to inject the Physician's cure."

Hazel took a step towards him. Leo stretched out his arms, waiting for the hug. Hazel drew back and punched him. Nico and Percy glanced at each other, then back at Leo and Hazel. Unanimously, they took a step backwards.

"What was that for?" Leo asked incredulously.

"The least you could've done was tell me your plan! You're an idiot, you know that? Everyone thinks you're dead! All your friends, everyone who ever cared about you! So what do you do? You go find yourself a little girlfriend. What was wrong with stopping by the camp?"

She stepped by him, not meeting his eye. Leo looked at Calypso. She shrugged.

"The girl does have a point."

"Gee, thanks a lot, sweetie," Leo grumbled.

Percy looked like he was about to say something, but instead just smiled.

"Finally! Some who'll finally get my jokes!"

Leo looked up at Nico and froze. Nico buried his hands in his pockets.

"Welcome back," He grunted before walking ahead with Hazel.

* * *

Leo let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He couldn't help it, the kid gave him the creeps. Especially with all those shadows... Leo couldn't help thinking about the giant who had almost sucked out his light. Calypso put a gentle hand on his shoulder, pulling him to his feet.

"It's obvious we're not welcomed here. Perhaps if we go to your... Camp Halfblood?"

"But-"

"Besides, aren't you always saying a quest should only have three demigods?"

He bit his lip. He hadn't thought of that. They'd been flying overhead when they saw the fight. It looked like Nico had a pretty good handle on things...

"Yeah, you're right. Everyone at camp is probably missing their best demigod in history."

She chuckled, punching his arm.

"You're more egotistical than Odysseus."

"Hey! I found Ogygia _twice_! That should count for something."

"Yes it does."

She pecked his cheek before moving to Festus. He blinked, looking back to where Percy was standing.

"Tell Nico and Hazel I'll be waiting at camp."

He nodded, a smirk covering his lips.

"It's good to see you again, Valdez."

Leo gave a small wave before disappearing into the brush. Festus was sleeping on the top of a hill. He looked up, as if sensing Leo's presence. Calypso had already climbed onto the dragon's golden neck. Her hair whipped out, framing her face perfectly. Everything about her... her grace, intelligence, strength... it all made Leo gape when he saw her. She noticed and blushed a little.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just thinking about how beautiful you are."

"If this is about scoring another kiss-"

"Nah, it's not about that... but a kiss would certainly help."

He hopped on and pulled the reins. Festus let out a low groan as he began climbing up into the air. Leo closed his eyes, feeling the wind rip through his hair. For a second, he felt like he was actually flying... until Calypso tapped him.

"Leo, what is that?"

He followed her gaze to see a bunch of buildings clustered together. Leo's eyebrow rose.

"A city? We saw them on the fly here."

"Not that... THAT!"

Leo gasped and swerved, just missing a large green fireball. Calypso grabbed onto the dragon, flattening herself so she didn't fall off. Another burst exploded against Festus' hind leg. He made a creaking sound, which sounded more like a whimper. Leo patted the dragon's head frantically, calming his friend down.

"Get us out of here!"

Festus turned in mid air and let out a squeak of pain as he jutted forward. His entire belly was on fire, the flames licking up and corroding the metal. Leo grasped one of the dragon's spikes and lowered himself to assess the damage. Circuits were exploding all over Festus' underbelly. He swung himself and touched the nearest panel box, crying out in pain. The fire was hurting him... how was that possible? Leo drew back quickly. His hand was bubbling from the contact.

"Are you okay?" Calypso called out.

"No... I'm not. Festus isn't going to make it! Land him!"

Calypso took over and began steering the machine down. Leo scrambled back to the surface, vaguely aware of the flames that were rapidly making their way to Festus' head. Calypso groaned as beads of sweat started forming on her face. _The heat... Oh Gods, she's not going to make it_. She swooned and fell back, wheezing. Leo grabbed the reins and shouted above the flames.

"Dive, Festus! Dive!"

The dragon didn't need to be told twice. He just stopped moving his wings altogether, going into a vicious nose dive. Calypso coughed, getting smoke into her nose and lungs. Leo gently hugged her to him. Her usual strawberry smell was charred, ash falling out of her cinnamon hair.

"It's okay, Calypso, just hold on."

Festus landed hard into the ground. The force sent Leo flying off the saddle. He skidded in the dirt, arms getting cut by small rocks. Pain shot up his body, but he forced himself onto his feet.

"Calypso?"

The fire was now on the ground, eating up everything it encountered. Leo shrank back, but he didn't run.

"CALYPSO!"

He felt his body go numb. The smoke was swirling in his own lungs, blurring his vision. He shouted out one last time before collapsing, body twitching.

* * *

The crash was deafening. Hazel jumped, trying to find the source. Nico held out his sword, looking at he sky cautiously.

"Is-is that smoke?"

Percy followed Nico's gaze and saw it. A billowing cloud far off in the distance from where they were standing.

"Wasn't that the way Leo went?"

"Yeah... I'll go check," Nico said.

Before the other two could protest, Nico stepped into a shadow. He stepped out on the other side to find a wild fire racing across the ground. He coughed, covering his lips and nose with his shirt. It was hard to see, but he did a scan of the area and squinted in confusion. There was a fire, but where was the cause? He couldn't see anything, just a random forest fire.

* * *

 **Sigh, I love making my fans cry. Did I make you cry? *dodges weapons of mass destruction* alrighty then...  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack and I'm bigger and better than ever. You see, with my other Danny Phantom story, the plot had gotten so convoluted as time went on, so I sat down and I have the next 5 chapters done. I'll be releasing one every week on Saturday. So, yeah. It's going pretty well :)**

Percy tapped his pen against his chin thoughtfully. The move worried Nico.

"I don't like this. Nothing is ever just random when there are demigods." Percy mused.

"But what else can we do? Sure, we can put out the fire, but that's not our quest," Hazel reasoned.

Nico nodded.

"I think we should just keep going. If it does turn into an issue, we'll deal with it."

They agreed.

They walked for a couple of hours, trying not to lose sight of the city. After what felt like forever, they came out into a park. Hazel shrugged.

"Looks like a nice place."

"Looks can be deceiving."

Percy took the lead, inching along the park's perimeter. The streets were peaceful enough. Just as he was about to step out, he paused. A low moaning vibrated the ground, making him stumble. Nico whirled around and held his sword up. A large green vulture was glaring down at them. It smiled in a twisted way.

"I have orders to kill you."

"You cannot and you will not kill your king," Nico growled.

The vulture threw his head back, laughing.

"Bring it on, pipsqueak.

More vultures appeared from the ground. They grasped at Percy an Hazel, who slashed out with their blades. One gasped in pain and jabbed out its claws. Percy screamed as the claws ripped through his shirt, across his chest.

"Percy!"

Hazel leaped forward, kicking at the vulture. Nico rushed forward also, but something landed on top of him. He tried to roll over, instead falling onto the ground.

"Stop! I command you to leave us alone!"

"Oh, we would. Except for one little problem... we are the rebellion and your father's reign will soon come to an end."

"Who do you work for?"

"His name's Vlad. He's not happy with you... not happy at all."

The blood boiled in Nico's stomach. He leaped up, shaking his back frantically. The vulture squawked in surprise, but hung on. He looked up to see Hazel stabbing one of the vultures. It gave out a loud screech before retreating to a nearby tree branch. Percy was laying face down in the dirt with Riptide inches from his hand. A war cry echoed through the park. The three looked up to see a RV tearing through the grass. Clumps of dirt flew into the air as it screeched to a halt. Gadgets and weapons extended out from the top, shooting everything from nets to lasers at the ghosts. Two people hopped out, a skinny woman in a blue jumpsuit and a large man in orange.

"Get away from those children, you splatters of ectoplasmic goo!" The woman yelled.

Lasers shot out of their RV, blasting the vultures back. They scrambled to their feet and cawed, shooting at the duo. Hazel looked over at Nico.

"Who are _they_?"

He shrugged, getting up to his feet. Focusing on the ground, he imagined his father's realm and all its inhabitants. With a shriek, the vultures sank into the ground, struggling to surface.

"You can't send us back! We'll escape, and when we do... you better watch your back, Kid!"

The group watched as the vultures disintegrated into the air. The couple glanced down at the trio and instantly rushed over to Percy. The son of Poseidon moaned in pain as they set him into a sitting position.

"Doesn't look too bad... yup, just a surface wound," the woman looked back at them, "we have a medkit at Fentonworks. If you'd like to, you can stay there until your friend gets better."

"And I can teach you proper safety protocol when dealing with ghosts!" The other boomed.

Nico scowled, but didn't say anything. Percy needed water... not some medkit. Yet, out of the corner of his eye, Hazel was nodding to him.

"Thanks... just until we're sure he's fine."

"Great!" the woman beamed, "I'm Maddie, and this is my husband Jack."

Nico smiled, hand itching for his sword. What if they were monsters? What if their plan was to kill Percy the second they were alone? _I guess he won't be alone then_. Maddie and Jack hopped to their feet, pointing across the street.

"Fentonworks is right over there. We're the leading experts in ghost hunting. We might also be able to figure out _why_ those vultures were after you."

* * *

Neither Nico or Hazel would leave Percy's side. The three of them were in the living room, a large bandage wrapped around their friend's chest. A teen girl was in the kitchen reading a book on psychology. She glanced up every couple of seconds with a suspicious glare.

"So, where did you say you were from, again?" She asked, wrinkling her nose.

"We didn't," Hazel said curtly.

The girl opened her mouth to say something else when the front door swung open. A kid with messy black hair and blue eyes walked in. He was talking with a Goth about someone named Lancer.

"It's totally unfair! I _got_ this question right-"

He paused when he saw Nico and Hazel sitting on his couch.

* * *

Danny froze, heart beating wildly. It was that kid... his parents came up from the lab, greeting the new kids like old friends.

"This is our son, Danny and his friend Sam. You actually look around the same age, I bet you four would have a lot to talk about."

Danny stiffened, feeling small beads of sweat roll down his neck. Hazel smiled warmly, Nico grunted in hello. Getting a small nudge from Hazel, he stood up and attempted a real smile. Creepy enough to make Danny want to go ghost. _Awesome._

The ghost king extended his hand, tilting his head curiously.

"Nico. It's a pleasure to meet you."


	6. Chapter 6

Percy shook the hand weakly.

"Great to meet you... hey, Sam, can I talk with you for a second?"

He turned to see her staring at Nico. She smirked in approval.

"You're a Goth, huh?"

Nico considered it, shrugging.

"Hm, guess I am. Never really thought of it that way."

"Sam, we need to talk. Like, right now."

Grabbing her hand, he pulled her up the stairs and around a corner. He pressed himself against the wall, peeking out at the kids downstairs.

"Those are _them_."

"What? Danny, _English_."

"Dammit, Sam. It's the ghost king and the girl who died. Their other friend is the son of Neptune. What are they doing in my _living room?_ "

"Whoa. Okay, relax. They should be gone by tonight, right? So just avoid them when possible."

"You make it sound so easy."

Sam raised an eyebrow. Danny turned and yelped. Somehow Nico had teleported up the stairs without making a sound.

"Do you have any food?" He asked in a low voice.

Danny threw his friend a glance before forcing a smile.

"It's in the kitchen... over there... way over there."

As soon as the boy left, Danny heaved a sigh.

"I gotta get out of here. Sleepover at Tucker's?"

"You have the enemy sleeping in your living room and you want to play video games?"

"That sounds about right."

Before she could protest, he dragged her down the stairs and out the front door. Hazel cocked her head to the side, golden eyes flashing.

"There's something about that boy..."

"You felt it too?" Nico asked in surprise.

Hazel nodded sheepishly.

"It felt like death... but... not exactly."

"Early death?"

She hesitated, eventually shrugging. Percy winced as he pushed himself to his feet.

"That hurts."

Jazz put down her book and crossed the threshold.

"Is there anything I can get you? Painkillers?"

"I could kill for McDonalds right now," Nico said with a smirk.

Jazz watched him uneasily.

"Sure... it's just down the street. Need a lift?"

"Nah, I can take care of myself."

* * *

The only word to describe Amity Park was sleepy. It was an old-fashioned city with appearances similar to the nineties. The worst Nico saw was some blond punk talking about football. He crossed over to the fast-food restaurant and paused outside. The back of his neck was tingling... a ghost? His hand instinctively reached for the sword tucked in his belt. He whipped around and gaped, the sword clattering to the ground.

"Will?" He whispered.

His boyfriend stared back with a blank gaze. The edges around Will's body were blurred.

"Will?!" Nico croaked again.

Will didn't respond. Nico's knees buckled dangerously.

"You could save him, you know," a voice from above murmured.

A hooded figure touched the ground just behind his boyfriend. Nico's nose scrunched.

"Who are you?"

"Let's just say I'm a friend. An old enemy is returning, a spawn of two worlds."

Nico snorted a laugh.

"Heavy much on the dramatics?"

"You wouldn't be laughing if you knew what this enemy was capable of. The halfa, a dangerous mix of ghost and human... a dark creature who wants to rule this world. He's defeated Pariah Dark, Undergrowth... some of the most dangerous criminals Hades has ever dealt with. And he has the one you love."

"What? That's- that's impossible! You're lying!"

The figure chuckled in amusement.

"Always the first to provide skepticism. Whether or not you believe me is your choice. But your... _Will_... has a ticking clock. If you don't destroy the halfa and restore balance to your father's kingdom, all will be lost."


	7. Chapter 7

Leo tested out his finger, stretching it out. Where was he? He looked around and bit his lip. Was he blind? Nah, just dark. Leo held his hand in front of his face. Warmth spread through his fingertips until he was holding a small torch. The room was completely made out of rock. He shivered, shuffling forward on his feet.

"Calypso?" He called.

"Leo?"

He gasped, eyes brimming.

"Cal!"

For a second, everything seemed unimportant. He ran ahead, not bothering to look at his surroundings. He was barely aware of the different temperatures he passed through, almost like the room was set in both the Arctic and tropics.

"Cal!?"

No response. A tremble shook his body.

"Caly?" He whispered.

The cave moaned in response. Leo shifted his weight uncertainly. Something moved.

It was just a blur in the corner of his eye, but he felt his limbs freeze. The flame wavered, dying into just a glow. His back hit a wall. Something was creeping out of the darkness. He could feel its breath on his cheek. His teeth chattered loudly as the flame sputtered out completely.

"Who's there?"

"The new owner."

* * *

"You know you gotta face your problems sometime soon, right?" Sam grumbled.

Danny and Tucker shared a glance.

"You wanna face your problems?"

"Nah, I'm good."

Sam sighed in exasperation and fell back on one of Tucker's beanies.

"Well we have to do _something_."

Danny winced. He knew she was right... he couldn't keep pretending everything was normal.

"What am I supposed to say? _Hi, I'm that ghost you tried to kill! Pleasure to meet ya_!"

"Or you could try getting to know your enemy before having to fight him."

Danny didn't say anything at first. He didn't want Sam to know the truth... how could a kid be so powerful? He thought he was the champion of the ghost zone... He looked up, realizing Sam was still waiting for an answer. He opened his mouth to answer. Instead of words, a blue wisp rose between his eyes.

"A ghost?"

In answer, a cackle resonated from across the street. Sam grumbled something about ghosts and their impeccable timing. Danny stood up quickly. A halo of white energy encompassed him, turning his hair white and eyes green.

"Be right back," he said casually.

Lifting off the ground, he flew through the wall and did a three-sixty. There. The Box ghost was levitating with cardboard boxes swirling around him. The ghost gave out a hearty laugh.

"Now you will feel my boxes of doom! Beware!"

Danny groaned.

"Look, today's not exactly the best time for this-"

"Ha ha! I, the Box Ghost, have caught the great halfa off guard!"

"You're the halfa?"

Danny whipped around and squeaked. Nico dropped his bag of food and swung his sword in an arc.

"Greasy junk-food. Is that really too much to ask?"

The box ghost looked between them, chuckling nervously.

"I think I'll let myself out."

"Oh, no you don't," Danny growled.

His hand went for his thermos. But before he could undo the latch, Nico held his hand up.

"Return to the Underworld, Spirit. You _will_ follow my command."

"I will follow your command," Box ghost droned with a glazed expression.

Danny blinked in surprise as the ghost faded and disappeared. The boxes dropped with a dull thud. The two boys glared at each other, unsure of what to do.

"Return to the Underworld, Spirit... you _will_ follow my command."

"Dude, I'm not going anywhere."

Nico straightened, eyes flashing.

"Very well, then. Return Will or else you'll be facing eternity with the Titans."

"Wait, what?"

"Just release my boyfriend."

"You're gay? Huh...what's he like?"

"Oh, super cute. One of those real angelic heal-all types. Hey! No getting off-topic!"

"Right! Look, he sounds like a really cool guy, but I don't know where he is! How would I? I didn't even know you were gay!"

Nico hesitated, holding his sword up.

"I can't take any chances... tell me where he is!"

"I told you I don't know!" Danny threw his arms up in exasperation.

As he did, a beam of green light smoked the ground in front of Nico. The ghost king jumped back, crouching into a fighting stance. Danny glanced down at his fingertips. Before he could do damage-control, Nico let out a bloodcurdling battle cry. Leaping into the air, he swung his sword and shot it out. Danny dropped down, feeling the sword whizz over his head. As quick as lightning, Nico landed with a roll and scooped up the blade. His opponent unleashed a fury of green energy balls. Nico batted them away with the sword. One of them caught his shoulder, making his skin burn.

"Ah!"

The blade clattered to the floor as he pressed the singed flesh. Danny stiffened, withering under Nico's death glare.

"Is it too late to say sorry?"

Nico screamed, launching himself at the ghost-boy. Danny went intangible, feeling Nico pass right through him. The boy landed hard on the pavement, gasping in pain. Danny shifted.

"I... I don't-"

"All you ghosts are evil! The ones who aren't don't even keep their memories! I'll make sure my father will put you in the Fields of Punishment."

Nico struggled to his feet, holding up a fist.

"Are you gonna fight, or what?"

"I'm not going to fight you!"

"Well that's too bad."

Nico ran forward. Danny sidestepped easily. His opponent flashed him a grin as he picked up the sword. Danny's heart dropped to his stomach. _Clever kid_. He back away, getting ready to take flight. He soared upwards, almost free. Just as he was about to completely leave the ground, he felt a sharp pain on his leg. He looked down to see the kind had left a gushing wound.

"Holy Mother of-"

Danny swerved, feeling his leg fire up. Nico placed a hand on the ground. A skeleton clawed its way through the dirt.

"Give me your bow and arrow," the boy commanded.

The skeleton complied.

Nico knocked an arrow and released a breath.

Danny gasped, as the arrow pierced his own shoulder. His flight faltered and he staggered, crashing to the ground. The dust swirled around his face, making his snow-white hair dirty. Nico batted at the dust, aiming another arrow. Just as he was about to release, a ring of light surrounded the ghost. Black hair... blue eyes. Danny had just enough time to realize what had happened before he passed out.


	8. Chapter 8

**Oops, sorry lol. I've been kind of busy with a competition called Nanowrimo (you should check it out, it's pretty fun). (Silly me, I chose 30,000) so I have to write a 30,000 word novel by the end of the month. With any luck, once it's done, I'll edit and maybe *keyword there* get it published. So it'll be a little harder for me to keep updating, but I'll try my best.**

Danny sat up quickly, heart pounding. He was on top of his bed, wrapped up in a blanket. Was it a dream? No... it couldn't have been...His heart skipped a beat as he swung his legs over the side. Pain shot up his shoulder and the memory came flooding back. Nico knew his secret... His hand flew to the wound... to find it bandaged? His door creaked open slowly. Hazel poked her head in, carrying a wad of fresh bandages. She gave a start when she saw him awake, but the surprise was quickly replaced by relief.

"For a second, I thought we'd be charged with murder."

"What's going on?"

"Nico brought you back... he told us everything. You don't have Will, do you?"

"No, I don't."

She smiled sadly.

"I figured. Although... you are an interesting anomaly. Ghost... yet human? Care to explain?"

Danny studied her face. Her golden eyes were patiently waiting for an answer.

"Why didn't Nico just kill me?"

"My brother might be a generic Emo, but he knows when to ask questions. And trust me, the three of us have a _lot_ of questions."

She paused, still expecting. Danny shifted uncomfortably.

"Look, I should probably get back to my friends... they'll be worried about me."

The two of them got up at the same time. Before Danny could cross the room, Hazel was already standing in front of the door. She smiled tightly, leaning again the doorway.

"Leaving so soon?"

The gears in Danny's head began turning. He narrowed his eyes.

"I'm a prisoner... aren't I?"

"Whaaaaat? _Pfft_... yeah, you are. And if you try to escape or hurt my brother or friend, then not even Zeus could save you."

"Zeus? Isn't he some kind of thunder-"

"Lightning!"

"Right, lightning!... what does he have to do with anything again?"

"I-um, never mind. Just tell me what you are."

Danny's teeth gritted.

"I don't have to tell you anything!"

"Seriously? If you don't have Will, then why don't you just answer the questions?"

"If you don't let me out, I'll scream. My parents will throw you out so fast-"

"Ha! Like a couple of plumbers could do anything!"

Danny's face burned. "Plumbers! I'll have you know they're the best ghosthunters to ever-"

Hazel's eyes widened. Danny froze, realizing what he just said. Without missing a beat, Hazel broke into a smug grin.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

She scampered out the door and paused on the steps.

"Guys! We got ghost-hunters!"

Downstairs, Danny could hear a cheer.

"Good job, Hazel! Time to see where they keep all their gear."

"Hey! You can't do that! My parent's have worked _hard_ to make it this far!"

Hazel's eyes flashed in a moment of sympathy.

"I swear we won't steal anything... we just need something that'll track a portal."

Danny stared at her, mind racing. The FentonPortal? He... he had to stop them! Hazel turned and called out to her friends. Danny tuned out, his hand instinctively reaching for the nearest heavy object, his lamp. He was about to swing it out when Percy's voice drifted up.

"Whoa... Hazel... you gotta see this..."

 _No_! The girl shot him a look and nodded.

"You're coming with me."

"No, I'm _not_!"

Danny threw the lamp at her. She rose an eyebrow and raised her hand. The lamp stopped in midair, the metal bending and twisting into a deformed shape. He stared at her, feeling his knees buckle.

"What-"

"Don't mess with me. Are you coming or do I have to drag you?"

Chills ran up and down his spine as the two descended to the basement. The other two boys had their swords drawn, facing the Fentonportal. Nico gnashed his teeth when he saw the ghost-boy.

"What is this _thing_?"

"My parents made it... they worked day and night for it..."

The Ghost King scoffed, pacing in front of the machine. He looked at Hazel, and for a second, Danny could see livid fear.

"It's death and machines... never a good combination. These people are toying with things they don't understand!"

Hazel took a careful step forward. She shivered violently, retreating to the back of the room.

"We have to destroy it," she whispered.

Panic raced through Danny. He stepped in between the demigods and the portal stubbornly, puffing out his chest.

"Leave it alone! Why do you care about some portal?"

"It's my quest to destroy it!" Nico growled.

"Your quest?! What does that even mean?"

They stared at each other, facing off. The air crackled between them. After a few seconds, Percy gently stepped between them.

"Look, our parents are pretty... powerful people and if we don't destroy this thing, a lot of people will be at risk."

Danny's fists curled and uncurled. He searched Percy's face and sighed.

"Fine, but-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the portal sparked. The trio leaped back, slashing at the air. A green glow swirled around the portal's entrance, glowing in intensity all of them were blinded. Danny looked at the ground, fighting a sick feeling in his stomach.

"What's going on?!" Hazel screamed.

Nico let out a yelp as he crumbled to his feet. Danny gaped as the boy was slowly being pulled into the center. The kid scrambled across the floor, trying to find a handhold. He screamed, prompting his comrades to rush to his aid. The minute Percy took a step, he flew right off his feet and shot towards the portal. Hazel tried to run the other way, but something her back.

"Help me!" She cried.

Danny grabbed her arm, but she ended up dragging him down with her. The two slid across the floor, crashing into Nico. In a tumble, they were forced through the FentonPortal. Danny stared out at his basement, getting smaller and smaller as they drifted further and further away.


	9. Chapter 9

**Dear Guest: I know, I suck at writing Percy. When I started this fanfiction, I had an epic conclusion in mind (no spoilers) and it involved Percy. Every time I write a chapter, I read it through a second time and I'm like "s*it, I didn't even include him" so I end up trying to give him parts and it always ends up weird. So, just for you, the most character development I can squeeze out at two a.m.! Isn't coffee a great invention? Especially when you've just finished a school essay and can't fall asleep ha ha ha...ha...ha. Do you have any suggestions on how I can integrate his character better?**

Danny blinked, picking his head up slowly. Every muscle in his body ached as he sat up. Why was it so dark? The ghost zone was never this dark! He tried reach forward and accidentally bumped into someone.

"Sorry," he said quickly.

The person didn't respond.

"Um... hello?"

Danny tapped their head, finding a large tumble of hair. _Hazel_? Someone else shifted next to him.

"Nico?" Danny whispered.

"Percy," the voice answered.

Danny's palm illuminated into a neon green, washing over the other boy's face. The two of them moved to Hazel, and Danny felt his inside go cold. Her head had slammed against the hard rock, bringing forward a trickle of blood.

"What do we do?!" Danny's voice squeaked with panic.

Percy hoisted the girl up, pulling back her hair to revealing a gashing wound.

"Do you have any water?"

The ghostboy shook his head.

"Wait... where's Nico?" Percy suddenly realized.

Danny gazed around... a cavern? The ceiling was so high up that Danny could only see darkness. Percy gasped and Danny followed his gaze to a large pile of rocks. There was a hand poking out from underneath.

"We gotta get him out!"

The two began moving the rocks aside. With each rock they moved, the entire mound shifted, making boulders almost crush them. Danny took a step back after a boulder the size of his head almost killed him.

"It's no use! They'll crush him before we get to him!"

Percy hesitated, looking down at Nico's hand.

"We have to do _something_."

* * *

Leo twirled his fingers in the air, shifting a small flame from finger to finger. He sighed, bored, and held the flame up. Concentrating on its form, it stretched into the graceful figure of a girl. She twirled in midair, scratching Leo's chin. He smirked and watched as the dancer leaped, dragging her feet along an invisible floor.

"Stop that," a voice said.

The boy looked up to see the hooded figure staring at him. Leo rolled his eyes.

"Leave me alone, I'm busy."

"Yes, you are. So why don't you get back to work?"

Leo stared at the figure, a dark gleam in his eye.

"Fine."

Without remorse, he crushed the dancer. She let out a hiss of steam that sounded like a scream and slowly faded into nothingness. The figure nodded.

"It's your chance, the Ghost King and the Girl who Died are down. You can take out the halfa and the son of Neptune."

A grin spread across the boy's face.

"It would be my pleasure."

* * *

Danny and Percy held Hazel between them. The plan was to go find Frostbite. His Yeti people would know how to move the rocks, and maybe even heal Hazel. At least, that was the plan. They followed a twisting path through the cavern, checking over their shoulders every once in a while.

"I've never been to this part of the ghost zone," Danny mused.

Percy gave him a sideways glance, smiling.

"You like to pretend you know everything, don't you?"

"Well... I... I know about the afterlife. That has to count for something, right?"

"Not even close. There are gods from all different kinds of mythology... it just so happens I'm Poseidon's son."

Danny stiffened.

" _You're Poseidon's... Poseidon is real?"_

"As real as you or me."

A thought came to him.

"The Ghost King... any relation to Hades."

"Yup, his son. And Hazel's his daughter."

Danny almost dropped the girl. His brain buzzed with the new information. _Wait... you've met Medusa, the minotaur, cyclops,_ and _Pandora before! How could you not think of the gods_? Questions caught in his throat. He wanted to know... he needed to know! He opened his mouth to ask, but a pillar of flame whipped itself at them. Percy hugged Hazel and pulled her towards him. She moaned and just managed to squeeze her eyes open.

"Percy?" She asked in a small voice.

"Aw, poor Hazel, poor, poor, poor, poor Hazel." Leo snapped.

"Leo?! What are you doing here?! What are you doing?!"

Danny clenched his fists. Leo didn't seem like too big a threat, more like one of those scrawny kids on the streets... but there was that little matter of fire blazing down his arm.

"I'm done with you," Leo hissed, "you've been a thorn in my side ever since the day we met."

Percy uncapped a pen, suddenly stretching it out into a long sword. Leo laughed, sending a rain of fire. Danny turned the three of them intangible and helped hold Hazel up. She was trying to reach for her blade, yet keeling over in pain.

"Run!" Danny yelled above the flames.

His partner gave him a curt nod. The two of them ran as hard as they could while supporting the third. They tore blindly into the darkness, acutely aware of the fire going right through them. Danny looked up and saw something through the smoke. His heart swelled.

"Over there! Swerve!"

The tumbled down a steep hill and rolled to a stop in front of a tower. Just like that, Leo's flames stopped. A force field had enveloped the tower. He gave a cry and started banging on the field. Danny smiled triumphantly.

"Thanks, Clockwork," he called.


	10. Chapter 10

**Read**

 **Read**

 **I didn't like the way my last chapter was going, so I've replaced Chapter 10 and have taken the story in a different dirrection. I think it's definitely an improvement, and honestly this version is more fun to write. So enjoy :).**

Clockwork greeted them with a smile, ignoring the pounding and screaming Leo on the other side of the barrier. Percy stared up at the old ghost, flinching when it transformed into a baby.

"Huh... ok then... I won't lie, that's kind of creepy."

"Why thank you, Perseus, I try my hardest. Would you like to come in?"

"We... our friend is being slowly crushed to death. Can you help him?"

Clockwork chuckled. Percy grinded his teeth together, it was a legitimate question.

"Your friend is far too important to history to be crushed by a boulder."

"So..."

"He's already taken care of it," Danny translated.

The ghostboy stood up and motioned to Leo.

"Do we have to worry about him?"

"Unless he knows how to pop a temporal bubble, then no."

Percy wanted to say something. He wanted to help his friend... but Danny was already getting Hazel to her feet and dragging her in the tower's direction. He didn't exactly have much of a choice; he followed. The tower was huge, filled with different kinds of relics from different eras. On one side was a large circle, showing misty parts of history. For one second, Percy thought he saw an image of him and Annabeth switching places to hold the sky. His hand unconsciously went to the fading gray streak the experience had given them.

"Nico," Hazel rasped.

"Yes, yes. Your brother is perfectly fine," Clockwork motioned to the ceiling.

The three of them looked up to see Nico suspended in midair, a large welt on his cheek and cuts and bruises all over his body. His arm was bent at a weird angle and he had the beginnings of a black eye.

"Ouch," Danny winced. And here he though Hazel had it bad.

Clockwork brought the paralyzed boy down to their level, and sighed heavily.

"I'll have to see if I have anything to bring the swelling down," he looked to Hazel, "as for you, some rest and stitches ought to do the trick."

The ghost helped Hazel to a cot on the other side of the tower. She fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow. Percy looked at the ghost suspiciously.

"Why are you helping us?"

"I don't have time to explain, Nico has some internal bleeding that must be tended to. Danny?"

While they waited, Danny explained everything to Percy; his future self, the times he'd met Clockwork and how the ghost had helped him. At some point, Hazel woke up and Danny had to start again. Percy nodded every once in a while, glancing towards the room where Clcokwork had taken Nico. After what felt like an eternity, Clockwork floated out with a smile. Behind him, Nico limped out, supported by a cane.

"The cane's only temporary, his body should be mended by the end of the day."

"Thanks," Danny said, "maybe you could tell us what's going on? Has to be big to get you involved..."

Clockwork blinked, gazing out a nearby window. The now old ghost hesitated, looking between the four teens.

"I was a fool... I thought my tower was invincible..."

His audience waited patiently, staring at him intently.

"Something was stolen from me..."

Danny took a step back as if he'd been punched.

"S-stolen? What was it?"

Clockwork motioned for them to follow him. Percy draped Hazel's arm around his shoulder and helped her up. She stumbled a bit but regained herself quickly, slowly sliding her arm away.

"I think I got it."

Clockwork led them down a short flight of stairs that wound around the entire tower. Danny's green light created unnatural shadows that seemed to close around them. Their guide paused in front of a massive oak door and slowly pushed it open. It creaked loudly, sending echoes throughout the staircase.

"I guess you could say it's a treasure room of sorts. I collect items that have been used to disrupt the timeline."

The team's jaws dropped. The room was cavernous, so big it didn't seem like it could possibly belong in the tower. Hundreds of pedestals laid before them, each topped with a different artifact. They passed large golden hourglasses and glowing scrolls with ancient markings. Rows upon rows of jewels glittered brightly, showering their faces with multi-colored lights. Clockwork stopped so abruptly that they almost ran into him. He was facing an empty pedestal with a grave expression.

"A mysterious jewel that popped up in Ancient Greece. I was still trying to figure out its properties... all I knew was that it was causing massive chaos. The gods were _furious_. On orders from Zeus, Hades himself came to me and told me to retrieve it and keep somewhere secure. This is most secure place in the ghost zone... next to Hades' palace, of course. Even he didn't want it anywhere near him."

"And now it's missing," Nico concluded.

Clockwork nodded silently.

"What kind of chaos was it creating?" Percy chimed in.

The ghost looked at him, sighing heavily.

"At the time, I was too worried about a time-traveller in the 1950s. I- there was so much strangeness when the gods ruled Greece... I-"

"You don't know, do you?" Hazel whispered, "something Hades _fears_ has just gone missing... and you don't even know what it is..."


	11. Chapter 11

Percy wanted to smash something. He twisted a piece of fabric angrily and pointed a shaky finger at Clockwork.

"This was supposed to be a straight-forward mission! Close a portal and be done with it! I didn't sign up to clean up after their mess! If they were so worried about that crystal, they should've given it to someone who knew what they were doing!"

"There has to be a scroll or something about it!" Hazel cried.

Nico was tapping the hilt of his sword thoughtfully.

"Do you even know who took it?" he growled.

Danny took a step back, trying to remove himself from the picture. He was with Percy, he never signed up for this! He only wanted to stop them from destroying his parents' work! Clockwork held up his hands, trying to calm them down.

"We'll figure this out!"

"Oh, yeah? And how, exactly, do you plan on doing that? How did someone even break into this place? I thought it was supposed to be so secure... this a _joke_."

The gems in the room began to vibrate. Danny stared at them as they bounced on their pedestal.

"Um... guys?"

"Does this have anything to do with Leo? Is it your fault he tried to kill us?" Hazel said, voice rising an octave.

"For that matter, what about Calypso? What happened to her?"

"Guys!"

"Why would my father trust someone with no knowledge?"

"GUYS!"

The three of them looked at him, as if just noticing him for the first time. Danny nodded towards the clattering gems. Clockwork sucked in a breath and pushed Hazel towards the door.

"You need to get out of here."

The color had drained from her face as the jewels began rumbling even louder.

"Y-yeah. I'll wait upstairs."

The second she left the room, the gems fell on their pedestals with a _thud_. Danny glanced at the other two with a puzzled expression.

"Her powers," Nico explained.

He began to limp off to his sister. Percy ran his pen under his finger, twiddling it back and forth.

"I just wanted to go to college... I know I'll never have a normal life, but just a small break. Would that be too much to ask for?" He looked at Danny without really expecting an answer. Danny chuckled half-heartedly.

"You think I wanted to be half-ghost? At least you know what you are, but me? I don't know if I'm technically dead or alive. Maybe both? Maybe Spectra was right and I'm just some freak..."

Percy stared at him for a few seconds before holding out his hand.

"To the freaks?"

Danny blinked, a small smile crossing his lips. Taking the demigod's hand, he nodded.

"To the freaks."

With a nod, Percy went after his team. Danny lagged behind with Clockwork. On their way out, Danny froze. He turned slowly and felt his heart drop to his stomach.

"Is... is that-"

"The thermos is holding beautifully."

Sure enough, the dented thermos had the arrow on full. Danny released a slow breath and bent down to eye-level.

"Are you sure Dan can't get out?"

"I'll do everything in my power to make sure he doesn't."

* * *

Calypso stared over the balcony. There was no ground or sky, just a swirling mass of green. She could still see Leo's face, his dull unemotional eyes... a shiver ran up her spine. No, as soon as she completed her task, she'd have her Leo back. His eyes would shine and he'd laugh... The air suddenly changed, a static charge jolting her. She stiffened, refusing to turn around as _he_ took a place next to her.

"This game is tiresome. Why won't you just kill that halfa?"

"Why won't you just release Leo?"

He chuckled darkly, taking a small blue crystal from a pocket. It glowed in his hand, making her squint.

"Just do as I say."

"Or what? You'll kill Leo? Or me? Without him, you've lost your leverage."

He turned the crystal over in his hand, scoffing.

"I might lose my leverage... that's true. I'm willing to risk it just to see you cry."

Hot tears sprung in her eyes. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, releasing a shuddering breath.

"Fine," she whispered.

"Excellent. I expect the halfa dead by, hmm, let's say noon, shall we?" He turned towards the room, "slave!"

Leo and a girl Calypso had never met before hobbled out to the balcony. They were supporting a palanquin with a black curtain, and a fake bat on top. The two of them bowed to their master, stepping aside as he sat on a gothic throne. Leo shuffled forward, holding out a blood red comb for Calypso. She eyed it warily and took it, inspecting it quizzically.

"How am I supposed to get close enough to halfa?"

"Oh, just put on a sob story. The other three will take you back in an instant."

"That doesn't mean I'll get close enough to comb his hair!"

"That's not my problem," he shot back, "you wanted an easy way, and now you have one. This comb will not only kill the physical body, but will also destroy his ghost side... something these idiots," he glared pointedly at the two, "can do, worthless pieces of-" he sucked in a breath, almost immediately composing himself. "How you perform the task is not my concern."

"Always ready for someone else to do your dirty work, hmm?"

"Remember dear Calypso," he sing-songed, "I'll be watching."


	12. Chapter 12

When Danny rejoined the group, the demigods were whispering among themselves. Nico looked up and cleared his throat.

"Clockwork, is there any place we can learn more about this crystal?"

Clockwork blinked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"There's a library not too far from Skulker's Island. The librarian and I are at... odds... I don't know if she has a book on it though. I've never stayed long enough to ask."

Danny winced, hearing the sour bitterness in the ghost's voice. Percy sighed.

"To the supernatural ghostly library it is."

Nico paused, motioning towards Danny.

"You don't need to come, you know."

Danny scoffed, "Amity Park might be in danger. Until I know my people are safe, you're stuck with me."

* * *

Danny couldn't help but look up in awe. The library was so huge, he was surprised he'd never seen in before. It was about the size of two football stadiums, made from polished marble. Spotless white columns stretched to the top of the building. The four of them crept inside, trying to ignore how small the place made them feel. Hundreds of shelves were lined up in neat rows, each of them packed with books. Hazel tilted her head to read the spine of the nearest book.

"Madame Nuri's guide to remedies and home cooking with... unicorn organs... well that's not disturbing at _all_."

"Have you read any of Madame Nuri's other works?" a chipper voice called.

The four slowly turned and look up. A ghost was hovering just above them, sporting armfuls of books. She had wispy black hair that moved like water around her head. She had large violet eyes with specks of gold shining through. The ghost bowed dramatically, beaming.

"Are you the librarian?" Percy asked skeptically.

She arched an eyebrow in amusement.

"What did you expect? An old lady hobbling over her books? You don't have to be old to like reading," she added with a huff "the name's Masitha. Need anything specific, or just browsing?"

"A-a stone. Clockwork said it was small and blue and-"

Nico stopped talking. A storm cloud had just appeared on her face, the kind nurturing features replaced with cold, hard edges.

"You've been speaking with Clockwork," she growled.

Would it be okay if Danny clobbered the Ghost King? The air was so thick, it felt like no one could move. Masitha scanned the team, flicking her eyes away from them.

"Clockwork thinks the ancient texts should be under lock and key... I want people to have access to their _history_. You tell me, are you for or against knowledge? Please, don't lie, it'll only make things worse for you."

They blinked at her, glancing at each other. Hazel straightened, retaining eye-contact with the ghost.

"I think knowledge should be accessible to a degree. As long as it's not hurting anyone, everyone should share it."

Masitha cocked her head to the side, a small smile crossing her lips.

"Who would've thought a child of Hades could be diplomatic? Usually they're so brooding and self-pitying... like that one!"

Nico flushed, but didn't say anything.

"I'm afraid you're too late, someone has already checked out a book regarding the Blood Stone."

"Blood Stone?"

She nodded excitedly.

"A very interesting piece of work! It was written by the Fates themselves in an effort to educate the gods on the stone's properties."

"Okay... so what is it?"

She started, "oh, right. No one knows exactly who forged it, some think it was the Titans, others the giants. During the time of Ancient Greece, a poor mortal man stumbled upon the stone. He was to trade it in a nearby village, but on his way, he encountered Aphrodite. Like most mortal men, he was instantly in love with her beauty. He tried to present her with the stone to ask for her hand in marriage. She refused, but he shoved the stone into her hands. The goddess was cut, and a drop of ichor splashed against the stone. She fled and left the man behind... however, through his travels, he found he could make Aphrodite's children follow his every command. He used this new control to marry into high levels of society and gain the attention of the gods. It took him years, but he got many of the gods' blood onto the stone and slowly formed his own army of demigods. The only gods he could not find were Poseidon and Hades. Soon the gods realized the chaos he was causing and smote him, however the stone survived. No matter what they did, the stone could not be destroyed... to ensure no mortal would ever seek power over their offspring again, they erased the man from history, from the legends and myths. The Blood Stone was locked away and forgotten."

The demigods were stunned into silence. They stared at her with gaping mouths, rocking back and forth on their heels.

"Did you catch the name of the person who wanted the book?"

Masitha smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry... I didn't think to ask."

"Somebody stole it from Clockwork," Hazel said shakily.

Masitha's eyes widened. Her hair swished urgently, and she stumbled backwards.

"Clockwork was robbed? Oh Gods, I had no idea...you have to warn Hades!"

"What? Why?"

"He and Poseidon were the only ones to keep their ichor! if he gets their blood, he'll be able to control _any_ child born under the Olympians!... he might even find a way to kill the gods..."

* * *

Leo marched up the path, his brothers and sisters in perfect line behind him. His master was seated on his black and dark red throne up ahead. He was inspecting his nails in boredom, barely looking up when Leo stopped in front of him.

"Report," he mumbled.

Leo bowed obediently.

"Calypso is on her way, our agents are keeping a close eye on her," his master nodded, "there's been activity at the portal, a goth girl calling for the halfa."

His master tensed, his fingers flexing.

"We can't let that girl interfere... not again. Do what you must to stop them from coming through. She won't be my downfall."

Leo and all his siblings dipped into their respectful bow.

"Yes, Freakshow," they droned.


	13. Chapter 13

Masitha led them through the aisles, ignoring ghosts floating lazily by. She paused in front of a cabinet and began sifting through the papers. After what felt like an eternity, she straightened and held out a rolled-up parchment.

"This map will lead you straight to Hades' palace. You will either intercept the thief, or confront him at the palace."

The demigods nodded slowly, looking over her shoulder. Small islands littered the map, named after some of the most strange things they'd ever heard of.

"Do we make a left at the Canyon of Carnivorous Death... or do just straight through the Tunnel of Terror?"

Nico's face contorted, stuck between a laugh and his usual seriousness. Danny made his way back to the entrance. Percy was asking a question about the Door of Dimensions. The ghostboy sat on the steps, looking out into the swirling green. Sure, he'd met Pandora and Medusa before... but he didn't think much of it. He never considered the possibility of all those Greek deities actually existing... trying to keep up with all of it was exhausting... he felt his eyelids fluttering. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he felt somebody's presence. His eyes snapped open to see a girl around his age holding up an intricate comb. It was inches away from his hair. He jumped back in surprise and held up a ball of energy.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

She blinked, gently tossing a lock of ginger hair behind her shoulder.

"Sorry... I... uh-"

"Calypso?" Hazel asked, stopping at the entrance.

The others joined her, Percy smiling sheepishly, Nico giving her an acknowledging nod. Danny looked between them.

"You know her?"

Nico grunted, "Leo's girlfriend... where were you?"

Danny shot her a suspicious look. Calypso bit her lip, cursing herself for missing her chance.

"I... I don't know," she lied, "I woke up on an island... and... well, I guess I found my way here.

She gave Danny the sweetest smile she could muster. Calypso knew Freakshow had sent one of his goons to follow her. It was a young girl, watching her from behind one of the columns. Danny shifted uncomfortably, the smile making him shiver. Nico straightened the long black sword around his belt.

"Leo's under someone else's control. Masitha thinks they'll strike Hades next."

Calypso tried to look shocked.

"What happened to Leo?!"

"Blood stone," he mumbled.

The goddess nodded quickly, looking between the others.

"I'm helping you... anything to save Leo."

Danny scoffed, crossing his arms.

"And we're supposed to just... _trust_ her? For all we know, she could be working with Freakshow!"

Her grip around the comb tightened. She gave him an equally tight smile, feeling her fingers flex in annoyance. The three demigods glanced at each other. Hazel shrugged.

"She's never given us a reason to distrust her before."

Percy agreed. Nico tapped his fingers against his leg.

"True... alright, we leave immediately."

Calypso almost let out a sigh. Danny was still staring at her with hard eyes. She swallowed, feeling the comb's teeth bite into her palm. How could she gain his trust?

* * *

Unlike regular mortals, Calypso could easily navigate the vast emptiness of the ghost zone. Nico looked like he was walking on air, his sister casually next to him. Percy, who had no connection to the zone, had to keep a hand attached to Danny's arm. After about an hour of travelling, Calypso slid next to Danny. He gave her a wary expression, slowly drifting away from her.

"You don't trust me, do you?" she chuckled.

His eyes narrowed.

"What gave you that idea, Sherlock?"

Percy rose an eyebrow. Calypso cleared her throat, trying to make herself as approachable as possible.

"Well, maybe I can reassure those fears? What do you wanna know?"

"Who are you? Besides this... Leo's... girlfriend."

"Pssst, she's an ancient goddess," Percy laughed.

Danny blanched. He stared for a few seconds. She didn't seem particularly godly.

"It's true," she claimed, flipping her hair dramatically

"Whoa. What's it like?"

"You tell me. I lost my immortality when I left my island prison."

"Prison?!"

She smirked mischievously.

"You have a problem with a girl who's done time? Time doled out from the big man himself?"

"Big-"

"Zeus, Danny, she's talking about Zeus," Hazel said, exasperated.

If he didn't look like a ghost before, he did now. She giggled, and began telling her story of how she came to be trapped on Ogygia.

As time passed, Danny got used to her. Percy would make a joke every once in a while, making them laugh loudly. He didn't know how long he'd been floating when Nico and Hazel nearly collapsed.

"So much walking," Nico whined.

"Definitely time for a rest."

Percy pointed off to a small island about a yard away.

"May I suggest there for your resting comfort?"

"Don't act cute," Nico joked, struggling to his feet.

Percy blinked, instantly becoming uncomfortably. Nico groaned, rolling his eyes.

"For gods' sake, it was a _joke_. I _can_ make those, you know."

They started towards the island.

"Natural comedian, always putting the fun in funeral," Hazel teased.

Nico crinkled his nose, holding back a smile.

The five landed with a thud on the solid ground. Percy rolled away from Danny, holding his hands up.

"Freedom!"

"Sleep," Hazel said with a serene smile.

Pretty soon, the siblings were snoring, with Percy not far behind, leaving Danny alone with Calypso.


	14. Chapter 14

Danny drummed his fingers nervously. There was something about the way Calypso stared at him... he felt like a specimen under a microscope. After a long while of silence, Calypso slowly took out a beautiful, golden comb. She ran it through her hair and flashed a smile at Danny.

"You look awful... want to borrow my comb?"

"Awful? Gee, thanks."

Calypso blinked, and chuckled.

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Really, you look very pretty."

Danny rolled his eyes, shaking his head slightly.

"Thanks for the offer, but I think I'm good. Was there ever a time when you enjoyed that island?"

She faltered, midway through her hair. Swallowing, she gave him a sad smile.

"Having Leo there was when I enjoyed it the most. Before he came along, I was alone for... for centuries."

Her voice choked. Sighing heavily, she continued.

"At first, I thought he was your average heroic type. You know... the ones who put others before themselves and their loved ones... I could never understand that mentality..."

Danny shrugged, "sacrifice?"

"Hmm. I guess. I guess I always felt like if the choice came down to saving the ones I loved or a larger group, I'd pick my loved ones."

"So, you'd always pick Leo, no matter what?"

Calypso exhaled slowly, looking at the halfa. The demigod who'd been following them was behind another door, watching them intently. She sighed and nodded.

"I'd do anything to protect Leo. I'd like to think he'd do anything to protect me...so, anyone special in your life?"

Danny watched her face. Feeling his heart soften slightly, he motioned towards the comb.

"Fine, I'll let you comb my hair, but _only_ so I can talk about Sam."

He settled in front of her. She stared at his white hair for a few seconds, hating herself. The second he started talking about Sam, she ran the comb down his scalp. It pushed his wild, stuck-up ends back, but they simply flopped forward again. Calypso bit her lip, forcing herself to pass the comb through the locks again. Danny mentioned something about a Goth girl, and how he didn't really know what to make of her. Calypso tried to pay attention, nodding and giving advice when necessary.

When she'd finished, Danny turned to face her with a small smile. Calypso stared at his face.

"How... how do you feel?"

His eyebrow rose quizzically.

"Fine, I guess. Why do you a-"

His eyes widened. Swaying slightly, he glared at her.

"What did you do to me?" It came out as a soft whisper.

Her hands trembled as she placed the comb in her hair.

"Once Freakshow got Hades and Poseidon's blood, you'd be the only thing in his way... I-I wish I didn't have to do it... but it was between you or Leo."

"Help! Please, wake up!"

His voice was so hoarse, none of the others woke. He opened his mouth to say something else, but collapsed. Crawling desperately away from her, he grunted in pain.

"I was right! I never should've trusted you!"

Calypso made a move to help him, but the demigod hopped onto the island. Her bright blond hair was tied back, away from a beautiful face. Her eyes were dull and crystalline. Calypso could almost see Freakshow watching her through the eyes. Danny was still trying to slide away, going for Percy. The demigod sped towards him quickly, pushing him down. Percy rolled over, but continued sleeping. Slinging Danny over her shoulder, she approached Calypso. Her voice was a mixture of hers and Freakshow's.

"Well, done. Care to give this puppet the comb?"

Calypso scowled.

"I'm not killing her for your pleasure. I think I'll keep it."

"Tsk, tsk, very well. We won't need it anyway."

"Will you let Leo go now?"

The demigod sighed.

"Calypso, Calypso. Always so straightforward. Relax, I'll release your little boyfriend as soon as I have Hades and Poseidon's blood."

Calypso's eyes narrowed.

"That wasn't the deal," she growled.

"Honestly, I thought you knew me better... but then again, you're not exactly in a position to turn me down."

She stared at the demigod heatedly. Every part of her wanted to lash out, kill the puppet, even though she _knew_ the girl was innocent. The goddess forced herself to inhale deeply.

"Fine. What do you want me to do?"

The demigod blinked, and suddenly danced on her toes, clapping in amusement.

"Oh, Happy Day! The goddess has to bow to my every will and whim. Just sabotage them whenever you can, I need time to get to the palace. "

Calypso drummed her fingers against her arm.

"Whatever, just leave it up to me."

"I place my full confidence in you! But just to make sure you don't... _ahem._.. betray us, I'll have sweet Annabeth here keeping an eye on you."

The goddess hesitated. She'd heard that name before... Percy's... nah, it had to be a different Annabeth. Calypso quickly regained her cool.

"Pfft, I don't need a demigod babysitter."

She/he shrugged.

"I think you do."

Out of nowhere, a younger boy with blond hair appeared. Annabeth handed the limp halfa to him and straightened.

"Jason, be a dear and drop this off at my place?"

The demigod named Jason saluted, flying off the rock.


	15. Chapter 15

"Where's Danny?" Hazel's cry woke Nico.

Nico jumped up in surprise, trying to wipe the sleepiness out of his face. Calypso stretched, and Percy was on his feet in a second, sword drawn.

"What's going on?" Percy questioned seriously.

Hazel shook her head, doing a circle.

"I woke up and... Danny was gone!"

"We have to find him," Percy said more to himself.

Nico stood up, rubbing his temple. They didn't have time for this... they needed to get to Hades! Calypso looked between them quietly, sighing.

"What do we do?"

Nico bit his lip.

"We'll search the nearest islands, but we can't stay here! We're too exposed."

* * *

The entire world was a blur of colors and sounds. Danny felt somebody hoisting him up... the next thing he knew, he was flying. He wanted to pick his head up, but it felt too heavy. The person dropped him onto the floor, sending shoots of pain through his body. He yelped as he rolled across the cool marble. Someone else was standing above him, a tall guy with grey skin... Danny's sluggish mind tried to work.

"Freakshow," he gurgled.

"Not dead yet? Slave, explain!"

Jason straightened into a salute, his eyes misted over.

"Annabeth seems to think his half-ghost half-human nature is delaying the poison."

Freakshow cursed under his breath. A small chuckle rose up Danny's chest. Gathering his energy, he spat onto the ground.

"You can't win," the ghostboy rasped.

Freakshow's eyes flashed in anger.

"No matter, this is only a temporary delay," he turned to Jason, "you may leave us."

The demigod bowed and scurried out the room.

Freakshow tapped his fingers on the throne. He watched Danny warily, the anger boiling his insides.

"You're a thorn, you know that?"

"And you're crazy, you know that?"

He smirked, circling Danny slowly.

"You know, once you're dead, no one can stop me from controlling all the demigods. Luke built an army and almost destroyed Olympus. Can you imagine what every child of the gods could do? I bet you wish you'd be here to see it."

"Go to..." Danny doubled over in coughing.

The villain's lips curled upwards.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that... you should really conserve your strength... maybe you'll live long enough to watch your new friends rip Sam and Tucker apart."

Danny gasped, lunging at his feet. Freakshow sidestepped the attack easily, making a _tsk-tsk_ noise.

"Honestly, ghostboy, did you think you could win?"

* * *

The group wasn't sure how long they'd been searching. After a while, they sat down.

"We have to get to the palace, reinforce it for the attack."

"But we can't just abandon Danny!"

"Ok, ok, let's vote on it. All in favor of reinforcing the castle?"

Nico's hand went up reluctantly. Calypso's followed. Percy and Hazel looked at each other.

"Ok... it's a tie then... rock paper scissors?"

"We're not playing rock paper scissors to determine the future of the world," Hazel said, crossing her arms.

Percy shrugged.

"Have a better idea?"

When no one offered any, Percy threw in a hand against Nico. The two demigods stared at each other as they shot their play. Nico had scissors... Percy paper.

"It's decided. We go to Hades."

Hazel and Percy grumbled unhappily, but they picked themselves up. Nico bit his lip, trying to hold down the guilt. What if he's just sentenced Danny to death? What were they even going to do with him? Suddenly, Calypso straightened. Her brow wrinkled.

"What's that noise?"

At first, Nico couldn't hear it and then... it was off in the distance, a low _thudding_ sound. Hazel and Percy met his eyes.. they heard it too. They ran to the other side of the small island, flattening themselves against the ground. In the distance, down below, was a path. A demigod was walking forward, each step laying a new brick. Behind him were thousands of demigods marching in perfect unison. Their marching was in sync, as if they were just one large machine. They wore black armor, large weapons resting on their shoulder. Centaurs were bound from the waist up, being ridden by some of the soldiers. Percy almost stood up in surprise, but quickly caught himself. Grabbing Nico and Hazel's arms, he pointed to Chiron, who was being forced to move a battering ram. The four of them ducked down as the army began passing, the ranks seeming to go on forever.

"Holy Hades," Hazel whispered, a slight squeak to her voice.

"They're marching to the palace," Percy muttered in awe.

Nico's stomach turned violently. Inhaling sharply, he pushed himself away from the island's edge.

"We need to get to Hades."


	16. Chapter 16

The group lost their sense of time as they raced past the army. It was hard to tell how long they'd take, but the group had the advantage of only being four people. Hazel didn't even look back as they hopped from island to island, bouncing off door to door. After a while, Nico steered them to the right. There was a large black oak door carved with ancient Greek inscriptions.

"Where does this lead?" Percy asked, out of breath.

Nico looked at them and smiled. A genuine smile.

"The Fields of Asphodel. If we hurry, we could fortify the palace!"

They piled through the door, stepping into a field of white flowers. Calypso turned around slowly, taking in the scene. Spirits wandered around them aimlessly. One passed right through her, making her shiver.

The four of them ran to the palace, looming overhead. The large spikes rose up through the clouds, making them feel small. Nico exhaled a breath. Persephone was outside the front double doors, wrapping a shawl around her shoulders. She had suitcases waiting behind her, and she checked the sundial impatiently.

"Hades, let's go!"

Hades stumbled out of the palace, carrying two more large bags. Persephone took them moodily, just noticing the four.

"Oh. Hades, your children are here... or whatever. I'll be back in the fall. If my garden is dead, so are you!"

She marched past them, towards a waiting carriage. Nico rose an eyebrow, and Hades threw up his arms.

"Don't look at me like that! She's the one who has to always visit her mother! The witch... so, did you close down the portal? What are you doing here?"

"Dad... what do you know about the bloodstone?"

Hades' face went cold. He looked at each of their faces, instantly going into business mode.

"There's an army on their way... isn't there?"

When they nodded, he cursed under his breath.

"Get inside!" He turned to a skeleton guard, "bring Thanatos to the war room. Tell him this palace won't go down without a fight! Let's move, people!

Nico ran himself ragged looking at maps and coming up with strategies. Hazel made admittedly gorgeous armor out of various metals and gems, fashioning swords out of gold. Percy and Calypso helped train the undead. Calypso doubled over, her muscles aching.

Moving towards a window, she looked out at the hundreds of beautiful white flowers. A shiver ran up her spine. If any of those demigods died... where would they go? Would they be considered heroes? Or would they wander the Underworld... trying to find a place? She pushed the thought out of her mind, along with an image of Danny... ever since she poisoned him, she couldn't stop _seeing_ his face. She wiped a cheek and held up her sword again. He was dead... she didn't have to worry about him anymore... no one would know.

* * *

Danny wasn't dead.

He wished he was.

But he wasn't. Not yet at least.

He was shackled and bound in a small cage, attached to an also bound and chained centaur. Every time Danny felt his pulse fading, he would shift back and forth between human and ghost... and he'd stabilize. After about the fourth time, he'd gotten used to it and almost came to expect it. Freakshow was riding in a palanquin right next to him, watching the ghostboy with a mixture of curiosity and anger.

"Honestly, you should just die already, it'll be so much easier," the freak guffawed.

Danny threw him a dirty look.

"If my survival that much of an inconvenience?"

"Now that you mention it, it is. If you would kindly stop, that would be much appreciated."

The ghostboy rose an eyebrow. His throat closed up, the poison pushing through his heart. He could feel the pulse weakening... softer... slower... he shifted again. He sighed tiredly. Honestly, he didn't know how long he could keep doing this...Somewhere from the army of demigods marching in perfect unison, a suddenly loud war cry. Danny straightened, trying to peer above the heads. One of the centaurs was resisting the whip, slapping the demigod back. He pulled on his reigns, throwing the weapons he was carrying to the ground. Freakshow stood, watching him with large eyes.

"Get me out of here! Restrain the other centaurs" Freaskshow shrieked to his minions.

A protective circle formed around their leader. Spears up, the centaur crashed through the army, throwing them completely out of rhythm. They tried jabbing spears at the centaur, but he skillfully leapt over them, kicking the demigods as he landed. The other centaurs cheered loudly, starting to fight against their own bonds... but there were too many demigods. The other centaurs disappeared under mountains of them tackling them. The centaur who had escaped was backing towards Danny slowly. His back hit the cage, and their eyes met.

"Chiron," the centaur rumbled.

"Danny," he rasped.

Chiron smiled warmly and looked at the advancing demigods.

"Tell me, Danny, do you do crazy things?"

 _Like stepping into my parents' unfinished portal to the Underworld and pushing the on button_?

"Yeah, I do," he chuckled.

"Good," Chiron muttered.

It happened so fast, Danny could barely register it. The demigods attacked, but Chiron kicked and punched expertly. He swept under their legs, stealing spears and forcing some away. Whipping around, he used a hoof to slam off Danny's lock. Grabbing the ghostboy by his collar, the centaur tossed him onto his back and neighed.

"Come on! We get out or die trying!"

Before Danny could respond, Chiron plowed into the army. They tried throwing themselves on top, scrambling to pull Danny off. Inhaling deeply, Danny gathered up his strength, blasting them away with green energy. Every blast made his muscles scream in pain, but he forced himself to continue. The blonde girl... Annabeth?... managed to grab a hold of Danny. He struggled to get his wrist free, giving the others enough time to start slowing Chiron down. The centaur cried out as they began hugging his legs, bringing him to the ground.

All Danny could see were mindless faces and hands pulling and pushing him. He shook his head in fear, trying to get away... but they were crowding... it was so suffocating!

"Get away! Get AWAY! Get aaaaAAAWAAAAAAAAAAA"

His wail ripped through his throat. Demigods screamed as they were blasted back, some floating helplessly in space. The wail shook through his very core, all his strength being released in one scream. Danny fell back limply, his breathing shallow. Chiron didn't waste the opportunity, racing through the dazed and confused army until they were all behind them.

"Hang on, Danny, we'll get there soon."


	17. Please read!

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Hi. Ok so have any of you heard of Inktober or draw this again month? I was thinking of doing something similar to that with a multi-fandom Hunger Games, 1 chapter released every day (I have 29 chapters all planned out). Danny Phantom characters and HOO characters will be included, so if you're interested, please check it out! Can't guarantee I'll make my chapter a day deadline, but I'm willing to try, and I actually have an outline lol.

So yeah, I won't really be updating Kings and Enemies for the month of October, but of course feel free to keep up-to-date with my Hunger Games October :). Thanks y'all!


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